Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurfmomo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Sunsurfmomo’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to trailing and decumbent plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching and flowering plant habit; long flowering period; and medium-sized light pink-colored flowers with red purple-colored venation.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunsurfmomo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia,botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by thename ‘Sunsurfmomo’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventors in Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program isto create new Petunia cultivars with attractive foliage shape andcoloration.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventors in August, 2001 in Shiga, Japan of the Petunia×hybridacultivar Polo Velvet, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent witha proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code numberP55h, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledenvironment in Shiga, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Shiga, Japan since September, 2003, has shownthat the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sunsurfmomo has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature,daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsurfmomo’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sunsurfmomo’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofPetunia:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading to trailing and decumbent plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching and flowering plant habit.    -   4. Long flowering period.    -   5. Medium-sized light pink-colored flowers with red        purple-colored venation.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Polo Velvet. Plants of the new Petunia differ fromplants of the cultivar Polo Velvet in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more decumbent than and not as        upright as plants of the cultivar Polo Velvet.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia are larger than plants of the        cultivar Polo Velvet.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Polo Velvet differ        in flower color.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more decumbent than and not as        upright as plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the male parent selection        differ in flower color.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the cultivarSunsurflala, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,786. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Petunia and thecultivar Sunsurflala differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more compact and had shorter        lateral branches than plants of the cultivar Sunsurflala.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia were more freely flowering than        plants of the cultivar Sunsurflala.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia had larger petals than plants of        the cultivar Sunsurflala.    -   4. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Sunsurflala        differed in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Petunia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsurfmomo’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up oftypical flowers of ‘Sunsurfmomo’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The photographs and following observations, measurements and valuesdescribe plants grown in Shiga, Japan, under commercial practice duringthe spring in an outdoor nursery day temperatures averaging 23° C. andnight temperatures averaging 13° C. Plants were grown for about fourmonths with one plant per 13.5-cm container. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Sunsurfmomo.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Petunia×hybrida cultivar Polo            Velvet, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number P55H, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at temperatures of            20° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About three weeks at            temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Outwardly spreading to trailing and            decumbent plant habit: Freely branching with about 16            lateral branches per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch            development. Vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 9.2 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 44.8 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 23 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2.2 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Aspect.—Initially upright to trailing and decumbent.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—144A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate, simple; after            flowering, opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 4.1 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 144D.            Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137B; venation, 137B.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B; venation, 147B.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 3.1 mm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: 144D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single salverform flowers            arising from leaf axils. Freely flowering habit with usually            about 30 flowers developing per plant. Flowers not            persistent. Flowers face upright or outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Petunia initiate            and develop flowers about two to three weeks after planting.            Long flowering period; flowering commences naturally during            the spring and plants flower continuously throughout the            summer until the fall in Japan.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five days on            the plant.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5.8 cm.        -   Flower length (depth).—About 4.1 cm.        -   Throat diameter.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Tube diameter.—About 2.9 mm.        -   Flower bud.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 3.9 cm.            Diameter: About 6.4 mm. Color: 145D; venation, 144C and 59C.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and            opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:            About 2.7 cm. Petal width: About 2.8 cm. Petal shape:            Broadly obovate. Petal apex: Pointed. Petal margin: Entire;            slightly undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Tube texture: Pubescent. Color:            Petal, when opening, upper and lower surfaces: 76D;            venation, N78A. Petal, fully opened, upper surface: 75B;            venation, N78A. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: 76C;            venation, N78B. Throat: 145D; venation, N81B. Tube: 76D;            venation, 144C.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five            sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About            1.2 cm. Sepal width: About 3.2 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly            elliptic. Sepal apex: Rounded. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            surface: 137A. Color, lower surface: 137C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm.            Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Pubescent; viscid. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five per            flower. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 2 mm            by 1.5 mm. Anther color: 11D. Pollen amount: Moderate.            Pollen color: 11D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil            length: About 1.9 cm. Style color: 145D. Stigma shape:            Transversely ellipsoidal. Stigma color: 144A. Ovary color:            144A. Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Petunia.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed    to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 35° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Petunia.

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurfmomo’ as illustratedand described.